Mother of Slain Sleepy Hollow Student Advocates for Gun Control

Sleepy Hollow’s Jessica Santos was killed in a drive-by shooting in August, 2006 – the day before she was to begin her second year of college.

Her mother Gisela Marin created a foundation in her daughter’s honor that grants scholarships to students who – like her daughter – plan to go into the criminal justice and forensics fields. This year marked the seventh annual Jessica M. Santos memorial walk in Sleepy Hollow, in which the butterflies Jessica loved always figure prominently as a symbol of hope.

Marin has lately been aligned with New Rochelle Mayor Noah Bramson's campaign for County Executive. On Wednesday, she was scheduled to join other parents of gun violence victims advocating for stricter gun laws by Bramson's side, but his spokesperson said she wasn't able to attend. She has however been spotted in his commercial.

Bramson attacked current County Executive Robert Astorino on the steps of the County Center for his record of bringing gun shows back to the government building, opposing Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s NY SAFE Act, opposing a ban on assault weapons, and opposing limits on high capacity magazines.

“One of Rob Astorino’s first acts in office was to end a decade-long ban on gun shows at the Westchester County Center,” said Bramson. “Gun shows are notorious for lax background checks and for facilitating gun sales to criminals, and a landmark legal settlement negotiated by New York’s Attorney General this year included the very company running the gun shows Astorino brought to Westchester. The choices we make in government have real consequences, which is why we deserve leadership that reflects our values.”

For more information or to donate to the Jessica M. Santos Foundation click here.